Massaging device



Nov. 29, 1932-. M. c. BLONDXN MASSAGING DEVICE Filed June 20. 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l Nov. 29, 1932. c. BLONDIN MAS SAGING DEVICE Filed June 20 1951 Fig.5

65 I O'I 5a as i 45 Fig.6

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 29, 1932 PATENT OFFICE MICHEL otter-inns Brennan, or ununoiv, FRANCE MAssAsINe DEVICE Application filed June 20, 1931, Serial No.

Most of the massaging apparatuses now in use are constituted by small rollers of different shapes held through a handle and which are caused to roll over the skin; other apparatuses, often actuated electrically, pro

,vide a patting or vibrating action; still further devices smooth the skin for instance through the agency of small rubber discs rotated rapidly by motor.

It may be admitted that these different manners of proceeding through rolling, vibrating, tapping, smoothing and the like each show a particular advantage which justifies the use of each of them for massaging; however direct manual massaging by a specialist may appear more complete, owing to the number and variety of possible movements and especially to the kneading allowed thereby, than the massaging performed through any known device.

In the improved device which is the object of my invention, 1 use several of these manners of acting which each provides the benefit of its own advantages. But these manners of acting are combined for cooperation through novel means and arrangements so as to allow the skin to be really kneaded. Such kneading not only produces the same results as hand-performed kneading, but also has over the latter the considerable advantage of urging the skin to contract. This result obtained through the devices which are the object of the present invention and which is very difiicult to obtain through hand-performed massaging, is of great advantage as it prevents the formation of wrinkles.

I have shown by way of example in accompanying drawings two forms of execution of my invention.

Fig. 1 is a partly crosssectional side view and Fig. 2 an end view of a first form of execution of a light hand controlled device which may be used in particular when traveling; of course the same arrangement may be controlled through any suitable motor.

Figs. 3 and 4 are detail views thereof.

Figs. 5 and 6 show a motor-operated massaging device accordingto my invention.

The rollers 1 which may rotate around spindles 2 are carried by straps 3 carried 545,734, and in Frahce August 19,1930.

through the agency of spindles 4 by parts 5 pivotally secured in their turn through the spindles 6 to the levers 7. Fig. 3 gives with nected through the small rods 10, the connecting points of which are shown at 11 and 12, with the part 1 1 integral with the rod 13 passing axially through the stay 9.

At its free end the rod 13 slides inside the socket 15 adapted to slide in its turn through the stay 16 forming part of the frame of the apparatus. The socket 15 is urged outwards by the spring 17 until it abuts through a shoulder against the stop screw 18 screwed axially into the rod 13 and the head of which b may move in a chamber provided at the end of this socket 15. i I

Inside the stay 16ar-e disposed three convergent slideways 19 wherein the ends 36 of the levers 7 8 are. caused to slide for guiding purposes. The part 14 is connected at 21 with a connecting link 20 pivotally secured at 23 to the control handle 22 adapted to rock round the pivot 21 carried by the frame 25. A spring 32 is secured through one end to the frame and through the other to the lever 22 which it urges away from the arm 27. The arm 27 is normallyintegral with the frame, however .it may, as shown,be pivotally secured to it at 30 with a view to allow its being folded into the position shown in dotted lines; this reduces the space occupied by the apparatus which may be transported in a case-of smaller width; during operation vthe outstretched arm 27 abuts through its inner end 31 against the frame and is thus held stationary. The whole of the frame which may form a casing comprises in the devlce illustrated the body 25, the arm 27, the three pillars 28 and the in as they rock around the spindles Each lever 7 is associated with a spring 35.

acting preferably on it and on thesuitably designed end of the part 5 so as to make the latter rotate around the spindle 6 until it bears against this lever 7. V

The socket is provided with a longitudinal slot engaged by the stud 38 integral with the stay 16, which prevents the socket 15 from rotating around the rod 13. This socket is capped by a removable pad 37 the shape of which is preferably that of a triangle with rounded apices in the case illustrated of a three roller device whereby the rollers may come at the end of their stroke nearly into contact with the three sides of the pad 37.

The working is asfollows: The device is held by the operator with his fingers on the lever 22 which for greater convenience may be provided withnotches 26 while his palm bears against the arm 27. Under such conditions when the operator tightens his grip he causes the rod 20 to'mo've forwardly. This makes the rod 13 and socket 15 slide in their hearings in the stays 9 and 16. The small rods 10 urge the levers 7 to pivot simultaneously around the spindles 8 and make thus the rollers 1 converge towards the central pad 37. The latter moves towards them as it is raised by the socket 155. Reversely when the operator opens his hand (return stroke) the lever 22 under the action of the spring 32 moves away from the arm 27, which causes the pad 37 to recede and the rollers to move apart.

If the device is thus caused to work through a succession of reciprocating movements while pressing its rollers against the skin, the parts 5 move towards one another at the beginning of each forward stroke and by reason of the contact of the rollers with the skin. This motion makes the strap 3 rock around the axes 4 so that the rollers abut nearly at once against the studs 34 which are arranged in a manner such that the rollers are pressed against them; the rollers cannot thus rotate around their axes while they are being carried inwards on their forward stroke.

Their frictionon the skin draws the latter along and collects it between the rollers in a manner similar to the action of fingers holding or pinching it. This forms a small swelling which increases in height while the rollers continue progressing. The skin rises on the periphery of this swelling as shown ly against the studs at 42 in diagrammatic Fig. 4 in a direction substantially perpendicular to its surface.

As the forward motion continues, the pad 37 arrives in its turn into contact with this swelling and forces it back compressing it in the direction shown by the arrows 44 while the rollers continue holding it in the direction shown by the arrows 43.

It is apparent that the pad has a reducing efiect on the height of the zone of skin which is held up between the rollers and this repeated action on a given portion of skin causes the latter to become less flabby and thereby less liable to wrinkle.

The arrangement is designed in a manner such that the skin thus forced to contract during the forward stroke is not reversely stretched and widened during the return movement of the rollers. To this end when at the beginning of the return stroke the parts begin to move apart, the rollerspass away from the studs 34 and make the straps 3 rock. These straps abut almost immediate- 33 whereby they move henceforward in unison with the parts 5 and the rollers which are thus free to rotate, move apart while rolling over the skin and smoothing it without drawing it along with them which would stretch it between the rollers. tinues even if a too considerable pressure is exerted on the skin by the rollers.

t should be noted as concerns the simultaneous movement of the rollers and pad, that their connection should be preferably such that the amount of pivoting of the levers 7 round the spindles 8 corresponding to a given displacement of the control rod 13 should be greater at the beginning of the forward movement and diminishes speedily so as to become this stroke substantially perpendicular thereto. Consequently in spite of the cooperation between their movements, the pad does not begin acting on the skin before the major part of the movement of the rollers has been accomplished and consequently the swelling of skin has been formed between them.

Gn the other hand in order to prevent for instance in the case of a particularly slack skin, the swelling held between the rollers from being by reason of its volume too en- .ergetically kneaded between the rollers and the pad, the compressional action of the latter is automatically limited by the adjustable yielding of the spring 17 which if suitably arrows 43 is limited by the adjustable yield- This smoothing action still con by a suitable stop such as a milled knob 39 screwed over one of the pillars 28, preferably that facing the slope 29 and .against which abuts at theend of the return stroke the reciprocating part 14. To avoid the possible small' hocks at theend ofthis stroke,

the milledknob maybe provided with'a washer of rubber, fibre or the like material-and similarly at the end of the forward stroke a similar stop 41' may absorb the shock of the lever 22 against the arm 27.

The rollers and pad which are removable and replaceable, may of course be made of any 'material suitable for use in contact with the skin such as ivory, fibre, rubber, cork, sham- "moy or the like.

The above described massaging apparatus which is shown as hand-controlled in this first form of execution, may, of course, be actuated directly or through any suitable transmfssion from any kind of motor having for instance a rotary shaft such as an electric motor, or a shaft rotated through a crank or a" pedal or any other motor. Or again the central rod of the massaging apparatus may be directly reciprocated without the agency of a rotary motion for instance through a piston controlled by a fluid, or through water pressure or the like.

I have thus shown in Fig. 5 in side view and in Fig. 6 in plan view, a second form of execution wherein an electric motor drives through its pulley 46 a belt 47 passing over' rollers 48 and driving a pulley 49.

consequently the rollers 48, the hook 7 3, the

pulley 49, the pinion 50 and the wheel 51 have been removed. The collar of this eccentric 53 integral with the bar 54 carries at the end of the latter a roller 55 engaging a slide 56. The latter is adapted to rock around i the pivot 57 carried by the frame or casing 62 and is connected through the rod 58 with thecentral control rod 59 of a massaging device similar to that described hereinabove and which may be protected by a removable cas ing 60 beyond which the rollers 61 may pass.

The latter act after the manner of the rollers 1 of the first example.

A small rod 6.3 pivotally secured to the ecrock with reference to the casing 62 around an axis which is preferably the same pivot 52 a suitable mounting to the outside of the casing 62 and ends with a push-button 65.

It is apparent that by depressing 65 I move the roller 55 in the slide 56' and bring it near er the rocking axis 57 thereof. I may thus in crease at will, even during operation, the length of the reciprocating motion. Reversely if'I release 65, the spring 66 urges the roller 55 towards the free end of the slide whereby the length of this motion decreases.

The operator may easily act on 65 with his thumb while directing through the handle 67 the whole arrangement carried by the other hand through the handle 71; the latter, to i make it easier to direct the device when working, and with a View to reduce its size, may be collapsed as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5 and may pivot aroundthe axis 72 held by the projections 68. These projections integral with the casing 62 rest on yielding supports 69 forming with the support 70 a basis for carrying the machine. I may also hang the latter through the hook 73 to a suitably at tached cable. Obviously the manners of executing hand or motor-controlled massaging devices according to my invention may be greatly diversified as well as the detail features such as the shape, kind, number, relative arrangement of the parts comprising it.

What I claim is: r 1. A massaging apparatus comprising a reciprocatingpad, a set of rollers disposed around the pad, and adapted to bear on the skin, me'ans forcausing said rollers to move inwardly without rolling for forming a swelling of the skin, means'for pressing the pad against the skin after formation of the swelling forkneading it and means for rolling the The axis of the latter may drive in its turn through the pinion 50 and the toothed wheel 51, a shaft 52 to which is secured an eccentric 53; for sake of clearness I have supposed in- Fig. 6 that the top part of the casing 62 and rollersoutwardly over the skin for smooth ingit after appl1cat1on of the pad.

-2.'A 115131852 113 aaaaratus com OIlSlIlO' a b b o pad, aframe, a rod holding the pad and slidingly held in the casing, means for reciproeating said rod, a'set of levers pivotally secured to the casing for pivoting in planes substantially radial with reference to the rod, a

rod operatively connecting the pad-carrying rod with the lever, a set of rollers disposed around the pad, spindles therefor substantially perpendicular to the pad-carrying rod and the radialmotion of whichis controlled by the levers, the inward motion of the roller spindles being substantially at an end before the pad-carrying rod is completely pushed out and means for preventing the rotation of the rollers around their spindles during the in-. ward motion'thereof.

cating said rod, a set of levers pivotally se stantially at'an end before the pad-carrying rod is completely pushed out.

4- A massaging apparatus comprising a.

pad, a frame, a rod holding the pad and slidingly held in the casing, means forreciprocating said rod, a set of levers pivotally secured to the casing for pivoting in planes substantially radial with reference to the rod, a rod operatively connecting the pad-carrying rod with the lever and imparting to it as the pad carrying rod is pushed out, a radial motion of decreasing speed, a set of rollers disposed around the pad, spindles therefor substantially perpendicular to the pad-carrying rod and the radial motion of which is controlled by the levers, the inward motion of the roller spindlesbeing substantially at an end before the pad-carrying rod is completely puhed out and means for preventing the rotation of the rollers around their spindles during the inward motion thereof.

5. A massaging apparatus comprising a pad, a frame, a rod yieldingly holding the pad and slidingly held in the casing, meansfor reciprocating said rod, a set of levers pivotally-secured to the casing for pivoting in planes substantially radial with reference to the rod, a rod operatively connecting the padcarrying rod with the lever, a set of rollers disposed around the pad, spindles therefor substantially perpendicular to the pad-carrying rod, straps holding said pivotally carrying the straps, stops towards the inside of said parts for the straps, stops towards the outside of said parts adapted to prevent the rollers from rotating during their outward travel and yelding means whereby the levers control the reciprocating radial movement of the said" parts, the inward motion thereof being substantially at an end before the pad-carrying rod is completely pushed out.

6. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 2 the provision of stops for limiting the recip;

rocating movement of the pad-carrying rod.

7. In an apparatus as claimed in'claim 2, a control lever pivotally secured to the frame, a connecting rod pivotally connecting the inner end of the pad-carrying rod with the control lever, a spring urging the control spindles, parts lever in one" direction and a hand rest secured to the frame in front of the control lever.

8. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 2, the provision of an adjustable stop for the pad on the rod-carrying pad and a spring urging the pad outwardly against the stop.

9. In an apparatus as claimed in claim 2, an electric motor, an eccentric driven thereby, a slide controlling the pad-carrying rod and pivotally secured to the frame, a collar on the eccentric, a roller carried thereby and operatively engaging the slide and means for manually displacing the roller in the slide.

10. A massaging apparatus comprising a reciprocating pad, a set of spindles disposed around the pad, rollers carried thereby and adapted to bear on the skin, a motor, means controlled by said motor for causing said rollers to move inwardly without rotating and to move outwardly while freely rotating on their spindles and means controlled by the motor for reciprocating the pad and pressing it against the skin, the means controlled by the motor being shifted one with reference to the other in a manner such that the pad is applied against the skin substantially when the rollers approach their innermost position.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

MICHEL CHARLES BLONDIN. 

